Welcome! This blog documented my my thoughts and insights as I progressed through the 4 year naturopathic medicine program in Canada and now provides some highlights of an ND's private practice. It includes links for those interested in becoming a Naturopathic Doctor as well as resources for students and patients interested in the field. My clinic is located in Airdrie Alberta.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Do Ion Footbaths Detox?

With spring approaching here in Airdrie, patients are already talking about detoxification. And, of any time of year, spring is the most opportune time to kick-start the body's already functioning purification systems after a long winter. Unfortunately, many popular "detoxifications" are either completely ineffective or only create temporary diarrhea thereby "cleansing the bowels." Worse, several times last year I saw the effects of an "herbal detox" that was absolutely dangerous.

Today I'm going to highlight a popular product recently shown to be under the completely ineffective category. Two years ago, a very well ran study assessed the effectiveness of the IonCleanse footbath. The conclusion? "Contrary to claims made for the machine, there does not appear to be any specific induction of toxic element release through the feet when running the machine according to specifications." Yes, the water usually changes colour (this study tracked potentially toxic elements not just colour change) whether your feet are in the water or not!

As Detox has become mainstream culture, so has the opportunities to take advantage of your time and money. Please ensure you are doing a safe and effective detoxification this spring. Even the necessity for all people to do a full-fledged detox is certainly a matter of debate. As a naturopathic doctor with a keen interest in environmental medicine, I evaluate each patient on a case by case basis: there is no one size fits all approach.

It's strange how some things work for some and don't for others. We are all made up of the same biology. It leads me to think that if the mind believes something will work, then it is really the mind that does the healing.

Perhaps the whole 'detox' thing is just symptomatic of our wanting a quick fix for everything these days rather than change fundamental things in our lives. Putting one's feet in a bath would seem like supereasy rather than give up alcohol, tobacco or whatever.

Naturopathic is definitely "in." But, I am concerned that people do not knowing what they're really doing. There's a lot of people who go online or hear from a friend about a detox method that cleanses their liver or whatever. They follow the procedures, see the results of their detox and are satisfied. What I think people also need to pay attention to is eating the right types of food after they detox. Detoxification can remove a lot of vitamins and nutrients from the body and so the body needs rest and proper restoration. I have met too many people getting sick from detoxing and not knowing how to properly take care of themselves afterwards.

I finished a month long detox about 6 months ago, and am starting one again for the summer. I've really become a big believer in the practice and am always looking for new ways to enhance the process. This is an interesting idea and I'd like to look into it further and see how effective it might be. Thanks for the suggestion.